148 A GARDEN DIARY 
pleasant little surprises for those who expected 
to find them vacant. He might do many 
things, only—and this is the point I am trying 
to arrive at—would he venture to do any of 
them? If such a man as IJ am representing 
myself to be were liable to be treated as 
the Germans in 1870 treated French fighting 
civilians, including women, and as the French 
would no doubt have treated German ones, in 
such a case it is hard to see how any responsible 
commander dare run such a risk, however great 
his need, or our willingness to serve. Risks 
are of course of the essence of war, but there 
are risks and risks. No one proposes to hunt 
with the hounds, and then run with the hares; 
to fight while fighting is reasonably safe, and 
afterwards slip hurriedly back into mufti; to 
play a soldier's part, yet claim the immunities 
of civilians. Let the risks be no worse than 
those which any soldier runs, and our faithful 
civilian is satisfied, and asks no more. There 
are, however, risks which it is hardly proper, 
hardly I may say decent, for any self-respecting 
man to run. That our typical civilian would be 
really liable in these days to be shot in cold 
blood, most people would find a difficulty in 
conceiving, yet how does he stand officially ? 
above all, how does he stand internationally ? 
Have the risks of so monstrous, so utterly 
abhorrent a contingency, been once and for ever 
